HILLSDALE — The 2025-26 Hillsdale Academy girls basketball team may have fallen short of its first championship opportunity this season at the Pat Paterson tournament, but the determined Colts have done nothing but win titles since then.
After turning in an undefeated season to win the SCAA-East conference, Hillsdale Academy won its 18th game of the season with a 39-22 victory over the Reading Rangers to take the Division 4 district crown on Friday, March 6.
The Colts last won a district in 2023, and this season’s championship was driven by team play by an entire lineup.
Reading led 22-10 at halftime and held the Rangers to just three points in the third quarter. Anna Bissot hit two 3-pointers, one in the second and another in the third quarter, to help build out the Colts’ lead. The Colts added 10 points to their lead in the third quarter. Ranger junior Leah Headley hit a 3-pointer to give Reading its best scoring quarter of the game in the fourth.
For the Rangers, junior Bria Wiler had six points. Faith Kipfmiller had four points, along with senior Anna Hamilton. The Rangers made a return trip to the district finals after winning a championship under coach Kevin Bailey last season. They end the season with a total of eight wins.
For the Colts, junior Lucy Cote led the way with 12 points, seven rebounds and five steals. Senior Darby Horsfall turned in eight points, three rebounds and four steals. Anna Bissot had seven points, three rebounds, three steals and an assist. Senior Liz Creger had six points, four rebounds and two steals. Senior Zoe Plemmons scored four points, grabbed eight boards, dished out two assists and had a steal. Abigail Kriesch had two points and three rebounds. Anne Gray had three rebounds and a steal. Eliza Roberts had one rebound.
The Colts move on to the regional semifinals, where they face Lawrence High School for the right to move on into the Division 4 regional final.
Lawrence won its 15th game of the season with a 45-28 win over St. Joseph Our Lady of the Lake Catholic. Lawrence shares a common opponent from the regular season in Athens, a team they lost to but the Colts soundly defeated.
Game action kicks off on Monday, March 9, at Marcellus High School starting at 7 p.m. The winner faces either Concord or Mendon in a Wednesday night regional championship game.
Results from the Monday night regional semifinal will follow game night at hillsdale.net. Tickets for all postseason events for the MHSAA can be purchased on GoFan.
This article originally appeared on Hillsdale Daily News: Hillsdale Academy girls basketball wins first district since 2023
Reporting by Joseph Flaherty, Hillsdale Daily News / Hillsdale Daily News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
